Best Summer Ever
by progpoet
Summary: AU: Rachel's not about to let Tina endure another summer at Asian camp. She has a much, much better idea.
1. Chapter 1

**Best Summer Ever**

"I can't believe you just talked my parents into letting me go to theater camp with you this summer!" Tina whispered excitedly, closing her bedroom door once Rachel stepped in after her. Her face still wore an expression of stunned amazement even as Rachel beamed with pride.

"As you know from all the times I've convinced Mr. Schue to go along with my song choices, I can be very persuasive when necessary," Rachel replied, sitting down on Tina's bed. Tina joined her as she continued: "Besides, now that you're not with Mike anymore, I didn't see any reason for you to endure yet another half-summer counseling grade schoolers about technology and video games and whatever else you two did at that place, wherever it was. It was simply a matter of pointing out the benefits of attending theater camp to your future career as a performer. Once they saw that, your parents agreed that it was clearly the better choice for you."

"Actually, we mostly taught math and made out a lot." Rachel glared at that, and Tina quickly changed the subject. "Really, though, I'm impressed. You didn't even need to show them your PowerPoint presentation," she laughed, soothing Rachel's glare into a pout, which was quickly transformed into a smile when Tina pressed a sweet, delicate kiss to the tip of her nose.

"I put a lot of work into that, I'll have you know," Rachel sighed. "But it was only meant to be a back-up plan, I suppose."

"Are you kidding? You had them the moment you mentioned that Meryl Streep is going to be there to teach a special class!"

Rachel looked down at her hands, which were folded in her lap, with one of Tina's on top of them. "Actually, I said that Meryl Streep's _daughter, _who is also an acclaimed actress in her own right, is going to be there. Your parents only heard the 'Meryl Streep' part and missed the 'daughter' part because they couldn't hear me over their own squeals of delight. I never imagined your dad as the fanboy type."

"Wait. I also missed that part," Tina gasped. Her hand flew up to her mouth as her face took on an expression of horror. "Don't tell me I was squealing too. Oh, god."

"You were, but don't worry about it. It was cute. And besides, I didn't _lie_, Tina, if that's your concern. People tend to hear the things they wish to believe, that's all."

"I guess you're right. What they didn't hear won't hurt them. Or me, later. I hope."

Rachel laughed, retrieving Tina's hand to clasp it snugly in her lap once again. "Oh, _relax_. It's fine. Honestly, Tina. And people call _me_ a drama queen."

Tina responded by playfully shoving Rachel's shoulder. "Hey! That wasn't nice," she said.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said. "I'm going to hug you now. Come here."

Tina let her body melt into Rachel's outstretched arms, accepting the embrace as they wrapped around her. Then she shivered a little when Rachel's voice, low and breathy, sounded in her ear: "This is going to be the best summer ever."


	2. Chapter 2

**Best Summer Ever: Chapter Two**

Tina's parents were not known around Lima as anything other than successful professionals. Her father, Kevin Chang, was a partner in the town's premier accounting firm, while her mother, Elaine Cohen, was a partner in one of its better law practices. They were well respected pillars of the community for the most part, although of course there were those more backward types who looked askance at their interfaith, interracial marriage, and even more so at their irrepressible, free-spirited, unusually clothed daughter. Why on Earth, they wondered and whispered to themselves and each other, did they allow the girl to dress in black and put blue streaks in her hair?

And _why_ did they allow her to spend so much time with such other well-known 'strange kids' as Rachel Berry, Brittany Pierce and Santana Lopez? (And, for that matter, what was Quinn Fabray doing with them too? We thought her parents had done such a good job with her!)

The answer was, simply, that the Cohen-Changs were great fans of the performing arts, and their house was always filled with the sounds of movies on television, or musicals on the stereo, and practically from the time she could walk and talk, their talented daughter singing and dancing, to their endless delight. They themselves were lacking in such talents, but they considered their daughter's gifts to be among the greatest that could possibly be bestowed upon a child, along with her high IQ and beautiful smile, and spent no small amount of money in helping her to develop those talents as much as she possibly could. And so it was that little Tina Cohen-Chang's early years were filled with dance classes, vocal lessons and acting workshops at the Lima Community Center and, later, with private instructors.

They believed, as parents, that children needed to be free to be exactly who they are and find their own identity with as little parental interference as possible; so even though they weren't always thrilled with their daughter's tastes in makeup and wardrobe, they let her go her own way with such things, because her happiness was the most important thing in the world to them.

Still, they worried about her as she got into her teen years, knowing that being different often makes you a target, an object of the scorn and ridicule that young people love to heap upon those who choose not to conform, not to go along with the crowd and like what everyone else likes, dress the way everyone else does, do the things everyone else does. And sure enough, Tina Cohen-Chang, with her goth clothes and her blue-streaked hair and her unique personality, upon her arrival at William McKinley High School, joined the dubious ranks of those who were greeted with extra-large slushies to the face accompanied by cruel, mirthless laughter and jeers from both their attackers and bystanders alike filling the hallways.

Mr. and Mrs. Cohen-Chang were seriously considering pulling Tina out of McKinley after seeing her normal effervescence smothered into somber silence and an alarming stutter, when something extraordinary happened.

Its official name was "New Directions," which the Cohen-Changs thought sounded uncomfortably like something else, but the kids never called it that anyway; they just called it "Glee," in reverent tones, as though it were a holy thing that had saved them from certain doom. And they supposed it had, in a way, because it brought their daughter's true self out once more, and for that, they were grateful and relieved.

The advent of Glee brought with it a unique and wonderful group of young people into their home, a combination they honestly never could have imagined. There were the three cheerleaders, nicknamed the Unholy Trinity: the blonde, almost childlike ray of sunshine, Brittany, whose blue eyes were always sparkling with happiness; her dark protector, Santana who could be sharp and cutting to the others one minute and then incredibly sweet to Brittany the next; and the effortlessly, stunningly beautiful, yet enigmatic Quinn, whose expression never, ever betrayed what she was thinking, no matter the chaos going on around her.

(She had a story to tell, they thought, but could see that she was a girl whose secrets were very closely held.)

Then there were the football players (because, one supposed, where there were cheerleaders, there would be football players): Finn, the quarterback, tall and graceless, not very bright, but almost always well-meaning; Puck, the flippant tough guy whose gruff exterior hid a kind heart; Sam, the charming and goofy kid whose penchant for impressions always kept things light and fun; and Mike, the tall Asian whose dancing combined with Brittany's made the group impossible not to watch, and had been Tina's boyfriend for a while. There was also the bespectacled boy in the wheelchair, Artie, whose good humor, they could see, masked a deeply felt pain over his condition; the brassy, sassy no holds barred diva, Mercedes, whose voice was as large as her outsized, outspoken personality; and Kurt, the most impeccably dressed young man they had ever seen, obviously gay and not the least bit conflicted about it.

And then there was Rachel. Smaller and shorter than everyone else, yet possessed of an air of authority and supreme confidence that was awe-inspiring to behold in a girl so young. She wore animal sweaters, short skirts and knee-high socks, and her nose seemed almost a tiny bit too big for her face, yet she was beautiful. Her long, dark hair fell in a long curtain down her back, and her hands would flutter around as she sang, and when they heard her for the first time, singing "Don't Rain on My Parade" from the musical _Funny Girl,_ Elaine Cohen-Chang nearly dropped her tea cup to the floor, so awed and amazed was she by the power of the voice that emerged from the girl's tiny body.

They did not miss the way their daughter looked at Rachel, nor the way that Rachel returned the look. If it meant what they thought it meant, well, it was one more difference that these young outcasts from the rigid class system of high school would have to overcome, but Kevin Chang and Elaine Cohen-Chang were prepared to stand by their daughter, and by extension the friends she had found, no matter what life was determined to throw at them.

So when Rachel had come to ask them to let Tina attend theater camp with her, really, what else could they say but yes? After all, the pressure for Tina to go to Asian camp had come from Mike's parents, who were as stern and demanding as the Cohen-Changs were relaxed and easygoing, and it was just easier to keep things peaceful and go along with their wishes than to argue over six weeks out of a long summer.

And the girl really _was _very persuasive, they had to admit. She had argued her case with such earnest intensity, her face fairly glowing with passion, that they had already decided to let Tina go even before the words "Meryl Streep" came into the equation. That was just the icing on the cake as far as they were concerned. It was all her mother could do to keep herself from leaping off the couch and crushing Rachel in a bone-crunching hug when she heard that.

It was at that moment that they knew Rachel Berry was the perfect girl for their daughter, if that was how things were.

Tina pulled herself reluctantly from Rachel's warm embrace to gaze at her with an adoring smile. She saw the same affection she felt reflected back at her in Rachel's chocolate brown eyes, and the happy grin that reached her eyes.

"You're amazing, do you know that?" she asked, breathlessly.

"Well, I don't like to brag or anything, but..."

Laughing, Tina replied, "Oh, yes you do! You brag all the time about your talent." She raised a hand to forestall Rachel's response and adopted an expression of thoughtful consideration, then continued: "But then again, I guess it's not bragging if you can back it up, right?"

"I would say that's accurate, yes. And thank you for the compliments. But you're pretty special yourself. That's why I wanted to share the theater camp experience with you, because I can honestly say it will change your life. The location is beautiful, the counselors and instructors are remarkable, the curriculum is both fun and challenging, and - "

Tina cut her off with a quick kiss to her lips. It was the most effective and satisfying way she knew to get her sometimes overly ebullient girlfriend to stop talking.

"You don't have to convince anybody anymore, Rachel. I was sold the moment you asked me to go with you, and now that my parents have agreed, all we have to do is figure out what to pack." Tina said happily, her energy lifted by Rachel's boundless enthusiasm.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Rachel said, waving away Tina's concerns with a tanned, tiny hand. "I've already made a comprehensive list of everything we'll need. Didn't I e-mail it to you the other day? Maybe not – I've had so much on my mind lately that perhaps it escaped me. Oh, well. I'll send it over and you can let me know if there's anything I've missed, although I doubt it."

Tina resisted the urge to roll her eyes good-naturedly at Rachel's mania for planning and organizing. "I'll make sure to reply right away when I get it, I promise."

"Yay! Planning is essential to the success of any worthwhile endeavor, I've found." She looked at her watch and frowned. "I had hoped we would have more time for kissing and other amorous activities, but it seems that dinner time is soon to arrive, and I can't have my dads sitting at the table waiting for me."

Tina wrapped her arms around Rachel and drew her in for a long, slow, deep kiss that didn't stop until the need for air became urgent. "Aw, baby. I wish you didn't have to go," she sighed. "Those 'amorous activities' you mentioned sound like so much fun."

"Believe me, I feel the same way. Don't worry, though. We'll still see each other tomorrow for lunch at the park with the rest of the Glee clubbers, right? So maybe we'll just sneak off into the trees or something and 'get our mack on,' as Santana would say, while they're still eating their sandwiches."

Tina brightened. "Why, Rachel, that sounds positively spontaneous! And _delicious_ as well." Her voice deepened considerably with the last three words, leaving no doubt in Rachel's mind just _how _delicious an idea she thought it was, causing her entire body to feel warm and tingly, heat flooding her cheeks in a furious blush.

"Well -" she rose from the bed, cleared her throat and smoothed down the imaginary wrinkles in her skirt. "On that delightful note, I must be off, but I will most certainly call or text you after dinner. You will be available, I trust?"

"Of course. I wouldn't miss a call or text from soon-to-be-superstar Rachel Berry."

"You'd better not."

"All right, then. Get going before I grab you, pin you to this bed and kiss you until you pass out from oxygen deprivation."

Rachel burst out laughing at that. "Must you always make this so difficult, Tina?"

Tina smiled mischievously. "It's part of the girlfriend code or something, isn't it? Never make it easy for her to leave – always give her a reason to stick around."

"Now I see why you're such a good student. You learn very quickly."

Now Tina had to laugh. "Yes, yes. Well, if you _have _to go, go already. I don't want your fathers thinking I'm a bad influence on you."

"Too late for that, I'm afraid. But they love you anyway. And so do I."

Tina threw a pillow, but it hit only the closing door as Rachel made her exit.


	3. Chapter 3 (Part One)

**Best Summer Ever – Chapter Three (Part One)**

"So does Rachel really have pointy ears?" Brittany asked as Tina hurried to match the cheerleader's bouncing gait while they walked to the ice cream shop.

"Wait – _what?_ Pointy ears?" Tina responded, surprise evident in both her face and voice. "Why on Earth would you think that Rachel has pointy ears?"

"Because Santana always says that Rachel's a hobbit, and hobbits have pointy ears," Brittany explained, as though this were perfectly logical. They entered the shop, and the bell above the door rang, adding a coincidental bit of emphasis to her statement.

Tina laughed, then immediately felt badly for doing so, imagining the glare Rachel would send the two of them if she were there.

"No, Britt. Her ears are definitely _not _pointed," she said, scanning the large freezer case in which the various ice cream flavors were displayed. Today would be a good day for a chocolate sundae, she decided.

"Santana says that Rachel keeps her hair long to cover her ears so that no one knows the truth about them."

Tina looked at her, blinking. She opened her mouth to reply, then snapped it shut, momentarily lost for words. That actually _would _make sense, if it weren't so ridiculous. She then turned her attention to the boy who stood behind the freezer case with a sour, bored expression on his face, obviously wanting the two girls to order their ice cream and go away as soon as possible.

Annoyed by the boy's attitude (and still perplexed by Brittany's interest in the shape of Rachel's ears), Tina snapped her fingers at him and pointed to the case. "I'd like a medium cup of chocolate ice cream with hot fudge, whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles," she said, a little sharply. "Oh, and a cherry on top. _Please._"

"Sure thing," he mumbled sullenly, reaching for the scoop.

Tina watched the boy scoop out her ice cream to make sure he wasn't giving her less than she had ordered. Only when he was spooning the sprinkles atop her whipped cream did she feel safe in returning her attention to the blonde cheerleader standing next to her. "Brittany, I assure you, once again, Rachel does _not_ have pointy ears. They're perfectly normal, just like yours and mine. Please tell Santana I said so."

The boy slid Tina's chocolate sundae, complete with a spoon sticking out the top of it, towards her across the top of the freezer case. She took several napkins from the dispenser next to it and walked over to the cash register to pay. Brittany followed, chewing her lip in the way she always did when she was thinking hard about something.

"Okay, but you know Santana won't take your word for it, or even mine. She'll want proof, like a picture or something," Brittany said finally, after ordering a medium cup of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream with chocolate cookie crumbles and whipped cream, but no cherry.

(It wasn't that Brittany didn't _like_ cherries; she just couldn't order them without laughing, thinking about what Santana would say whenever she did get a cherry on top of her whipped cream - which she was certainly _not _going to repeat to Tina, no matter how funny it actually was.)

She favored the boy with a sweet smile, and he stumbled a little as he moved toward the cash register, completely smitten with her in that moment, as was pretty much the case with anyone she gave that smile. She paid for her ice cream, then winked at him before turning on her heel to walk with Tina over to a small table near the large window at the front of the store.

They plopped themselves down into the hard plastic chairs and set their ice cream in front of them. Tina let out a small moan of pleasure as she ate her first spoonful of chocolatey goodness, which made Brittany giggle.

"Does Rachel make you moan like that too, or is chocolate better than her?"

Tina gasped, almost choking on her second bite. "Brittany! You - you can't just _ask_ people things like that, especially in public!" she spluttered. She grabbed one of the napkins she had taken and wiped furiously at her mouth.

"Why not? I mean, I've kissed Rachel, and she's really awesome at it, so I wouldn't be surprised if you _did _moan like that when you're with her." Brittany shrugged, like asking such a personal question wasn't a big deal at all. She popped a large spoonful of her own ice cream into her mouth, seemingly oblivious to the whipped cream she'd left on her nose.

Tina was about to point it out when Brittany stuck out her tongue, then maneuvered it upwards to lick the whipped cream off in one deft strike. A cat-like smile of satisfaction lit her face.

(She had to admit it was a pretty impressive move. She also had to admit she was glad that Santana wasn't there with them, because - _oh God - _who knew what that girl would have said.)

Having taken a moment to collect herself, Tina responded around another mouthful of deliciousness. "I'd forgotten that you'd kissed Rachel" - she frowned at the memory - "but yes, she _is_ pretty awesome at it. She's pretty much awesome at everything. I've never seen anyone put so much effort into just _living _every day. It's exhausting to watch, and to listen to her sometimes, but mostly it's inspiring. She wants to be the best at everything she does. That's why she goes to theater camp every summer – and why _I'm_ going with her _this_ summer."

Brittany looked surprised at the news for a moment, then squealed with happiness.

"Oh, Tina! That's so great!" she exclaimed with a clap of her hands. Then she paused and bit her lip again, and Tina knew what was coming next. "What's theater camp?"

Shaking her head and chuckling while she spooned more chocolatey goodness into her mouth, Tina began to explain.

"Six weeks of singing, dancing and acting classes presented in an isolated, distraction-free environment taught by top professionals in their fields, designed to help students improve in all areas, or in one particular area of concentration, if that's what the student desires," she quoted Rachel, even getting it all out in one breath, just as Rachel would.

"Whoa," Brittany intoned, her voice hushed, her spoon hovering in the air halfway between cup and mouth. "Were you, like, channeling Rachel just now? I've heard about that kind of stuff, but I never thought I'd actually see it happen..."

Smiling at the memory of Rachel ticking off point after point as to why _of course _she should go to theater camp with her, Tina replied, "I suppose I was, in a way. That's how she sold me on the whole idea of going."

"It sounds like the Cheer Camp that Coach Sue makes us go to every summer, but a lot more fun. Coach never lets us sing at practice. She says we need to save our voices for the cheers. I _like_ singing, though. That's why I'm glad that Santana and I are in Glee Club."

Tina felt a surge of affection for Brittany and her strange, wonderful ways. "I think I speak for everyone in Glee when I say that we're glad you are too, Britt."

"You're not going to start channeling everyone else now, are you? Because I don't think I could handle hearing _Puck's_ voice coming out of your mouth. That would be _way_ too weird."

"Ew. You're right. That would be all _kinds_ of weird. And wrong. So, _so_ wrong."

They both laughed and concentrated on finishing their ice cream before it all melted, eating in pleasant, companionable silence. After every delicious bite was consumed, they threw the empty cups and used napkins in the trash, Brittany turning and waving to the boy behind the counter. Tina was pretty sure he hadn't stopped staring at Brittany the entire time, and she'd started to get a little creeped out seeing his eyes on her every time she turned around. The cheerleader, for her part, hadn't noticed at all.

Sitting on the conveniently located bench outside the ice cream shop, waiting for Santana to pick up Brittany and Rachel to pick up Tina – Santana had been at Quinn's house to discuss official Cheerios business, while Rachel had invited Kurt over to hers to help him pick out songs for his next Glee performance, so Britt's mom had dropped them off near the ice cream shop – Brittany suddenly tilted her head and looked Tina square in the eye with a look that was completely unlike any she'd ever seen on the sweet, vivacious girl's face before.

"Do you love her?"

The question hit Tina like a punch to the stomach. She actually felt the air go out of her in a big rush, deflating as though she were a balloon and Brittany's words were a pin.

"I, um – I mean, we haven't been together for all that long, but – in time, I think -" she murmured, squirming a little under Brittany's intense, unnerving gaze. "Yes. Yes, I think I do."

"Don't hurt her. I know things didn't end very well with you and Mike. It would make me sad if the same thing happened with Rachel. Mike's a good guy, but Rachel...she's a really great friend. She's always been super nice to me. So just – don't hurt her, okay?"

Moved by the genuine plea reflected in Brittany's bright blue eyes, Tina put her hand on the girl's shoulder. Drawing in a deep breath, she hoped that Brittany would hear the sincerity she was about to pour into her next words, which were as much a vow to herself, and to Rachel (whom she wished were there with them), as they were a promise to Brittany.

"Britt – I promise you, I will never do anything, willingly or knowingly, to hurt Rachel. Ever. I just told you that I love her, and I do. I didn't even realize just how much until now. So I swear to you, on everything I hold dear in this world, that I will never forget what that means. Rachel's heart is safe with me. Okay?"

Brittany held her left hand up, all her fingers curled down except her pinky.

"Pinky swear?"

Tina giggled, then tried to school her features back to seriousness, knowing that this was the most solemn and sacred oath one could make as far as Brittany was concerned. But she just couldn't resist the urge to smile her biggest, brightest smile of the day so far, and so she did, raising her right hand up, pinky extended.

"Pinky swear."

Brittany's answering smile outshone the sun in that moment, and before she knew it, they were both standing, and Tina found herself crushed against Brittany's body, enveloped in a bone-crunching hug.

Suddenly she was dimly aware of a car approaching the parking spot in front of the bench. A horn sounded, and a familiar voice called out.

"All right, break it up, Girl Chang. That's _my _girl you're feeling up there. Don't make me get out of the car and go all Lima Heights on your ass, 'cause I will. Don't think I won't, just because we're in Glee Club together or whatever."

"Hi, Santana. Nice to see you too," Tina said, rolling her eyes. "And for the record, I _wasn't_ feeling your girlfriend up. I have one of my own now, as you may or may not be aware, and she should be here any minute."

"Ah, yes. The hobbit herself. Congratulations, I guess. You'll make fascinating Asian-Hobbit hybrid babies one day," Santana cracked, lowering her dark sunglasses to peer at Tina over the frames. "Or not."

"Santana!" Brittany admonished, lightly smacking her girlfriend's arm as she lowered herself into the passenger side of the car's front seat. "Rachel's not a hobbit, and she doesn't have pointy ears. Tina said so."

"Sure she's not. Pictures, or I call bullshit. And no Photoshop. I can spot that crap a mile away, so don't think you can get any computer magic past me."

"You're amazing, Santana. Truly amazing. I'll text you the 'proof' tonight -" Tina paused to make air quotes with her fingers. " - if you insist."

Santana smiled the feral smile that always made Tina think of a lioness, or a panther, some kind of graceful, yet deadly dangerous big cat. "Insist, I do. And yes, I _am _amazing. About time someone besides my Britts here noticed. And on that note, we'll see you on the flip side. I needs to get my mack on. Later, Girl Chang."

Brittany waved and grinned happily. "Bye Tina!" she called as the car pulled out into the street, and then they were gone, leaving Tina alone with her thoughts.

Two minutes later, another car pulled into the same space, and Tina laughed as Rachel bounded out of the driver's side, the engine still running, and walked around to the passenger side to open the door for her.

They wrapped their arms around each other and Tina pressed a light, sweet kiss to Rachel's waiting lips. "Mmm...I've been waiting for that all day," Rachel breathed. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Tina slid into the car and Rachel pushed the door closed. When she re-entered the car, she asked, "So how was your visit with Kurt?"

"How is _any_ visit with Kurt?" Rachel replied once they were safely out of the parking space and back onto the road. Tina chuckled. "Dramatic, as usual. He asked a lot of questions about...well, about _us_. That boy is relentless! It was a while before we actually got around to picking out a song for him to sing in Glee."

"Oh, boy. So...tell me all about it," Tina said, as the road back to Rachel's house reflected the afternoon sun, beckoning them towards their destination, the wind blowing through the windows and into their hair.

"Well, it started out like this..." Rachel began.

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I have another idea I'm eager to start on right now. Stay tuned for part two of this chapter, to be posted next week, if all goes to plan. :^)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Best Summer Ever – Chapter Three (Part Two)**

They were sitting on the couch downstairs in Rachel's basement, the infamous "performance room," complete with stage and state of the art karaoke machine, when Rachel broke the news of her summer plans for attending theater camp with Tina to Kurt. She had hoped to soften the blow with a pitcher of freshly-made lemonade and a batch of her famous "I'm Sorry" cookies, but the way he sighed heavily and shook his head let her know that her plan had not succeeded.

"Theater camp _again_, Rachel?" Kurt whined. He had an eyebrow raised and an expression of hurt on his otherwise angelic face. "When was the last time you spent an entire summer at home, hanging out with your best friend, otherwise known as _moi?_"

"Kurt, I truly am sorry, but you of all people should know that an aspiring performer must take every opportunity to hone his or her craft to become the best they can be if they hope to reach the lofty heights of a Bernadette Peters, a Patti LuPone, a – yes, I'll say it – a Barbra Streisand, one day," she pleaded, hoping to appeal to the boy's own inner diva. He shared her dream of singing and dancing on a Broadway stage, but evidently he lacked her dedication, choosing to waste precious time on just "hanging around" during the summer (his own private studies at the Lima Community Theater notwithstanding) instead of attending this prestigious camp with her.

He was having none of it - although she noticed that didn't keep him from eating the cookies and drinking the lemonade – shaking his head and huffing exasperatedly at her once more.

"Oh, Rachel, come on. You have vocal and dance lessons all through the school year, plus Glee, and before you started going to theater camp, you had no problem keeping your voice in shape during the summer while still having time for your friends. So I don't buy the explanation that this is just about your future as a performer." He paused, and a slight smirk spread across his face. "No, I think this is about something else. Or..._someone_ else, I should say."

Rachel tried to keep her face free of expression at this, but the blush that rose to her cheeks told Kurt that he had clearly struck a nerve.

"I would be...less than truthful, if I were to say that the opportunity to spend a concentrated amount of time with Tina, free of the distractions presented by, say, Mike or Artie, was not a factor in this, Kurt - but it's not _just _about that. Not for me, and not for Tina, either. You may not realize this, but she's every bit as ambitious as we are, and it just so happens that she has come to the conclusion that she wants to develop her talents and abilities to their fullest extent. I, for one, applaud her for choosing to focus on that, and will encourage and support her one hundred percent. And you should, too."

Kurt's expression changed from one of smug self-satisfaction to one of guilt during the course of his best friend's rant. Rachel had been unfairly labeled as a selfish diva at times, but he should have known that she truly had Tina's best interests at heart, even if she happened to benefit from her choice in the process.

"All right, all right. I believe you. I get that it's not just about getting Tina alone, but you have to admit that it was a pretty big shock to everybody when you got together with her. Honestly, we all thought you were crushing on Quinn, and then, out of nowhere – bang! Tina and Mike break up, and the next thing we know, you're sitting together at the Lima Bean and making out over your soy lattes."

Rachel giggled, a dreamy, far-away haze in her eyes as she remembered those first few dates with Tina. She blinked to clear her head and re-focus on the here and now with Kurt, but before she could speak, he began once again.

"So, dish. Tell me how you two got together. You know I should be angry with you for not telling me about it anyway when it first started, but I'll let you off the hook if you spill now," he said, the penetrating gaze of his blue eyes locked directly on hers. He took a sip of his lemonade, then set the glass back on the little folding table where Rachel had placed the pitcher and the plate of cookies. "Did you kiss first and _then_ go out on a date, or was it the other way around?"

"A lady never kisses and tells, Kurt...but I have to admit I've been dying to talk about this new and exciting relationship with you. I just didn't want to...I don't know, jinx it somehow, by mentioning it too soon, while it was so new." Kurt nodded, encouraging her to go on. "It's still new, of course, the relationship itself, but the feelings aren't. As it turns out, we both had feelings for each other well before we actually got together, but neither of us knew how the other felt. She was involved with Mike even as she began to realize how she felt about me, and I was...did you say _everyone _thought I had a crush on Quinn?"

Kurt nodded in affirmation. He felt badly for his best friend's obvious discomfort over this revelation, but he knew that it was important for her to talk about it, both for her own sake and for that of her new relationship. She had to achieve closure regarding whatever feelings she'd once had – maybe even still had – for Quinn, in order for things to blossom and grow with Tina.

She hesitated, biting her lip and wringing her hands nervously, reluctant to confess aloud what had apparently been obvious to the Glee Club all along. She knew it was silly, this reticence, and so she decided to just power through it, as all good performers must when confronted with nerves and sudden insecurity.

Still, her voice was quiet, almost a murmur, when she finally spoke again. "I did, for a time. Longer than I care to admit, actually. But it became clear to me, as Quinn and I became friends, that the level of attraction was not mutual. That was...difficult. So I chose to distance myself a little from Quinn, not spend quite as much time with her, to ease things a little. That led me to rely more on Tina. I spent a lot of time on the phone with her at first, and then we started hanging out at each other's houses...and soon I began to realize the things about her that I'd sort of pushed to the back of my mind while I'd been so..." she paused, looking for the right word, continuing when she had it. "So _caught up _with Quinn."

The familiar ache was there in Rachel's chest whenever she thought of Quinn returned, but it was a dull echo of what it had once been, having slowly but surely replaced by the warmth that filled her heart as her mind turned to thoughts of Tina.

Kurt smiled as he saw the progression of emotions on Rachel's face, from remembered pain and sadness to new-found wonder and joy. She had never been able to keep her feelings far from the surface, and he was particularly adept at reading them. Some people thought he was nosy, a gossip hound, inquisitive only for the purpose of getting juicy details to snicker over with Mercedes, but that wasn't true at all. He asked questions in order to better understand his friends, to gauge their motivations, their sincerity, their true feelings, so that if ever they needed his help, he would know exactly what to say and do.

"What things, exactly?" he asked, gently prodding. When he saw the look of incomprehension in Rachel's eyes, he prompted her again. "You said that there were things about Tina that you had noticed, but pushed to the back of your mind. What things were those?"

"Oh," she breathed, as though he had startled her, but she quickly regained her composure and answered him. "Yes. Well, there were many things. Simple ones, at first. Her smile, for example. While it may not possess the movie star-like quality of Quinn's smile, it's more open, genuine and honest. When Tina smiles, it's like her whole body does too, and it radiates so much warmth, and I just want to feel that warmth around me all the time. And her laugh is the same way, so inviting and contagious. Those two things led me to think more and more about how pretty she is. Again, not movie star gorgeous like Quinn, or even Santana, but a more interesting, exotic kind of beauty. Once I allowed myself to see it, I couldn't stop thinking about it."

She paused then, to lift her glass of lemonade to her lips and drink down about a third of it in one long gulp. A small, apologetic smile crossed her face before it returned to its previous pensive state. "Sorry. I was a little parched there. So - the more time I spent with her, the more I wanted to be around her. She...she just captivated me. She's so gentle, and so kind. Whenever I would vent to her about the injustice or idiocy of the day, whether it was Mr. Schue, or Azimio, or Karofsky, she would just listen and hold my hand, never judging, always understanding."

Kurt wanted to interrupt her then, to remind her that he had always done the same thing for her, but he knew better than to try to stop a Rachel Berry ramble in full flight. So he said nothing and let her continue.

"And then, sometimes, she would say something, or make a suggestion, and suddenly, with only a few words, she would get me to look at things in a way I'd never even considered before. I don't know how she does it, Kurt, but she has this amazing ability to cut through to the heart of things, to make me think entirely differently from one moment to the next. Honestly, she's most likely the most intelligent person I've ever met! And oh, Kurt, she's so funny. She makes me laugh _so_ much. And did you know that in addition to being a fantastic singer and a gifted dancer, she's a talented visual artist as well? Ask her to draw something for you sometime. You'll be quite surprised, I assure you. Every time I'm with her, I learn something new about her, and it just makes me feel...fascinated. Yes. That's the word. She fascinates me, not because she's a mystery like Quinn has always been, but because she's so open to sharing things about herself, and there's so much to share. It's like discovering a whole new world every day. I'm telling you, it's a shame that more people haven't taken the time to get to know her as I have, Kurt, it really is, because she's an absolutely _amazing_ person."

Kurt was enthralled at seeing so much genuine emotion and enthusiasm about something other than Broadway musicals pouring out of Rachel; it was startling, amusing, and altogether endearing. Her passion was always the thing that made people either love her or hate her, but it couldn't be ignored. And this? This was a previously unknown dimension of passion.

Or could it be – dare he even _think _the word – _love? _He needed to know more, but the question he wanted to ask was one he knew might be dangerous ground on which to tread.

"What happened between her and Mike? Did you – I mean, did she – they didn't break up because of you, did they?"

Rachel froze. Her spine stiffened, and the happy look on her face vanished, replaced by a complex expression of emotion that Kurt couldn't quite place. He thought he saw anger there, for only a moment, and something else. Not guilt, or shame, but...more like disappointment. Not the kind of disappointment he'd seen in her face when she didn't get a solo in Glee, or when she only got an A-minus on a test when she'd been certain she'd get an A or an A-plus. No, this was a deeper disappointment, a hurt, an expression of bewilderment that seemed to ask how she'd gotten something so wrong somehow, in the midst of something so right.

She got up from the couch, then reached for a cookie, bit into it. It didn't taste the same now as it had before.

"I...I don't think that's my story to tell, Kurt. I can only say that it was an...unfortunate situation, unpleasant for everyone involved. I truly feel badly for Michael, despite the happiness that Tina and I have found subsequent to their break-up. He's a really good guy, he really is...he'll get over it and move on." She paused, listening to Kurt's quiet breathing and the sound of her own heart beating in her chest, each tap against her rib cage a syllable. _Ti. Na. Ti. Na._ "Eventually."

Kurt rose from the couch, stepped towards Rachel. He opened his arms, beckoning Rachel into them. As he held her, she remembered her words to Tina and swore to herself that she was going to make them come true. This really _was_ going to be the best summer ever. No matter what.


	5. Chapter 5

**Best Summer Ever – Chapter Four**

Ever mindful that the most memorable exits are the best ones, Rachel decided that she wanted to leave an indelible impression on the community before her and Tina's departure for theater camp by organizing a performance by the New Directions at the Community Center, with the proceeds from ticket sales going to benefit the local animal shelter. Brittany had beamed with happiness when Rachel pitched the idea to her, which of course was necessary to get Santana on board. After that, it was easy enough to get everyone else to agree; even Mr. Schuester and Ms. Pillsbury volunteered some of their own time to help out as well.

Coach Sylvester, on the other hand, when she heard about it, wrote a long, outraged letter to the editor of the Lima Times in which she insulted and disparaged the glee club, Will, Emma, the management of the Community Center, cats, dogs, and even the Mayor of Lima himself.

Soon after the letter was published, Sue and her Le Car got several tickets for speeding and parking violations, and the paper subsequently ran a front page article – with pictures - about how the coach of McKinley High School's national champion cheerleading squad had stormed the Mayor's office in an attempt to confront him about his 'obvious vendetta' against her and had to be forcibly removed from City Hall by several uniformed officers.

Santana had the page framed, then texted a picture of it hanging on her wall to everyone in the glee club. This prompted a long and quite hilarious group chat, the highlight of which was Quinn's suggestion that they should sing the theme song from 'Cops' at their Community Center performance, with a slight change to the lyrics: "Bad coach, bad coach, what you gonna do? What you gonna do, when they ticket you?"

(Rachel, reluctantly, had to veto that suggestion, much to the rest of the club's dismay.)

They got together to rehearse at Sugar's house because there was actually a performance room in it that was at least as large as the choir room at McKinley, if not the stage at the Community Center itself, and because the girl had offered to have catering supplied by Breadstix. Santana's warning glare was enough to dissuade anyone from even thinking of suggesting another location after that.

When the glee clubbers began to arrive – gaining entry to the mansion (Sugar hated that word; it was "too French") only after the security guard at the gate ensured that their names were on the list provided to them, and that their faces matched the pictures next to the names - they were surprised to find the McKinley Jazz & String Ensemble setting up their equipment and music stands on the stage that dominated the room. The musicians met the New Directions' bewildered stares with shrugs and rolled eyes, as though they shouldn't have been surprised at all. Even Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsbury were kind of amazed, their wide eyes and dropped jaws matching those of their students as they craned their necks and swiveled their heads to take in the sheer size of the room.

Finn, Puck and Sam stood huddled together, their dazed expressions given voice by Kurt's long, low whistle of shock. Mike came in next, smoothly sliding into the room with his trademark dancer's grace, and Artie rolled in after him moments later. Not long after that came Rachel, Tina, Brittany and Santana, with Quinn and Mercedes following.

Excited chatter filled the air as the New Directions looked around them, at the large, raised stage directly at the opposite end of the room, the multicolored lights above it, and the plush, comfortable seats set up in a semi-circle around it. Even Quinn and Santana, who came from very affluent families themselves, were clearly quite impressed.

"Whoa!" Finn exclaimed. "I think you could fit my mom's house in here." He ambled over to the long buffet tables and peered down at the massive array of plates and trays set upon them, all covered by plastic wrap, grunting in disappointment when he couldn't quite tell exactly what was hidden underneath.

"Easy there, Frankenteen," Santana snarked, earning herself a glare from the tall boy; she merely smiled sweetly back at him until he turned away. Then she stuck her tongue out at him, eliciting gales of laughter from Brittany and Quinn and chuckles of amusement from Artie, Kurt, Mike, Mercedes, Tina and Rachel (although Rachel felt a tiny bit badly about it). "There will be plenty of time for you to get your eat on after we finish rehearsing. Puck, Trouty -" she pointed at the two boys. "_Please_ get him away from there before he inhales everything, tables and all, will you?"

"Dude, you could fit my house and Sam's along with yours into this whole place, and still have room for a couple more," said Puck, lightly punching his friend in the arm and receiving a half-hearted shove back in return before he and Sam managed to drag him away from the table. "They probably have their own freakin' ZIP code here."

"And a spaceship in one of the garages, too," Sam said, a dreamy look crossing his features, blissfully ignorant of the eyes being rolled by most of the Glee clubbers in response.

"This place really _is _huge, I have to admit. When a place makes _my _house look small..." Quinn commented, her voice drifting off, strangely embarrassed by the admission. Brittany just hugged her, then took her hand and one of Santana's, squeezing both of them as they started making their way over to the stage area, the group migrating along after them.

The New Directions settled down into the seats in front of the stage as Mr. Schue, Emma and Rachel walked around to stand between them and the stage, where the band too had sat down, awaiting their instructions.

Rachel was about to ask no one in particular where their hostess was when Sugar bounded into the room, smiling brightly, obviously very pleased with herself and her friends' reactions. She had been secretly watching and listening to them in the security room via the cameras discreetly hidden away throughout the performance space.

"Hi guys! Thanks for coming over to my house, which is so much bigger and better and nicer than all of yours. That's why I invited you here." It wasn't entirely true, actually; yes, her house _was _an incredible place; it was also incredibly lonely most of the time, and Sugar was really very glad to have finally found a group of friends who didn't want anything from her except her presence. But when Mr. Schue focused a disapproving look at her, she simply tilted her head to one side, shrugged and said, "Sorry. Asperger's."

"Um, yes, well," Mr. Schue coughed. "I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we're glad to be here, Sugar, so thank _you _for having us." He turned to Rachel, who stood patiently next to him with her hands primly folded in front of her, waiting for her chance to address the group. "And let's all thank Rachel here for organizing this performance for us. I don't know about you guys, but I was hoping we'd have at least one chance to show Lima what we're all about outside of the school and competition settings, so I'm actually pretty thrilled that we're doing this – especially since it's for such a good cause."

Tina glowed with pride at their teacher's praise for her girlfriend as the club applauded, cheered, hooted and whistled enthusiastically in affirmation. She genuinely loved it as much as Rachel did, and Tina believed absolutely that she was born to be in the spotlight. Rachel was their star, and it was only a matter of time before the rest of the world would come to know and appreciate her talent as well.

Rachel nodded her head at Mr. Schue, then smiled her patented mega-watt smile at the friends gathered before her, taking a breath before she began to address them.

"Fellow Glee clubbers, I echo Mr. Schuester's happiness at being together with all of you once again, and I am certain that we will make this performance at the Community Center our best one yet, if we work hard and strive towards perfection, just as we would if we were preparing for Sectionals, Regionals or even Nationals."

"I get that you're kind of obsessive about this sort of thing, Rachel, but why should we work so hard on a show that nobody might actually see? I can't imagine people are going to line up around the block for tickets to New Directions: The Concert," Puck scoffed. "No offense, babe, but you've gotta be realistic about this."

Rachel closed her eyes and bowed her head. Then she raised it again, and the gaze she trained on Puck reflected the plea in her voice as she responded. "Noah, I'm disappointed in you. It doesn't matter if we're performing for _one_ person, or ten people, a hundred or a _thousand_. What _matters_ is the integrity of the performance. If one isn't willing to put one hundred per cent into the show, then one simply _doesn't_ belong on the stage." She paused, scanning the faces of her fellow Glee clubbers, trying to gauge how well they were absorbing the urgency of her message.

"I _know_ you, Noah. I know _all_ of you. You _love_ being on the stage. You _love_ performing. And at the end of the day, I know that not a single one of you will settle for doing less than your very best - not just for the _club_, but for _yourselves_."

Tina rose then, to stand beside Rachel in support of her impassioned plea. "Rachel's right. If we want to show this town that we're not a bunch of losers, we need to act like it. We need to prove to everyone that we're serious about what we do, that's it's not a joke and that it – it _matters_. Because if we don't, then Sue Sylvester and Principal Figgins and everyone else who says that Glee doesn't matter, that _we _don't matter...they win. We prove them right if we don't answer them back – and the way we do that is by putting on the best show the Lima Community Center has ever seen, even if it's only our families in the audience."

"I agree," Kurt said quietly, looking at Tina with an expression that said, _I'm impressed. _"It's about time that New Directions made this town sit up and take notice of the fact that we are a force to be reckoned with. Let's do this, and do it _right._ What do you say, people? Are you in this, and in it all the way, or _aren't_ you?"

Silence descended upon the room. Will and Emma looked at each other, knowing that this was a crucial turning point in the history of the club, one of those defining moments that they would forever remember.

"Calm yourself, Lady Face," Santana laughed. "I think we all get it. For once, I agree with our resident diva and Girl Chang over there. If we're going to have a coming out party, we might as well come out with a bang."

Quinn raised an eyebrow at her fellow Cheerio's choice of words. Mercedes tried and failed to hide her chuckle behind her hand, and in a matter of seconds, everyone else made the connection and began to laugh, softly at first, then building to a crescendo of hilarity.

Santana, for her part, tried to quell the growing laughter with a glare, but quickly gave up, just shaking her head and joining in as Brittany pressed an affectionate kiss to her heated cheek.

"You gotta admit, that was a pretty perfect choice of words, Santana," Artie gasped out between hearty laughs. Finn and Mike and Sam were positively howling with laughter, slapping each other on the back, while Quinn watched them, rolling her eyes at their complete goofiness.

_Boys, _she thought. Then she looked at Rachel with a sober, thoughtful expression, biting her lip. Rachel caught her eye, but didn't hold her gaze; instead, she looked away to place a consoling hand on Santana's shoulder.

"Oh, bite me, Wheels. You know what I meant. Don't make me explain it to you again, Lima Heights style," Santana hissed, but there was no malice in her tone; everyone knew that she loved them all fiercely and would never do anything to hurt a fellow club member, not really. Besides, Brittany would rein her in before anything even had a chance to get serious.

Mr. Schue cleared his throat, trying to regain control of the situation and get the club back to focusing on the job at hand. "Okay, then – so we're all in agreement that we're going to kick butt at this performance, right?"

The group cheered, loudly and in unison, and hands slapped together in multiple high-fives. Even the band joined in. Spirits were high, and the feeling of unity and solidarity was positively contagious.

"Right, Mr. Schue," Rachel beamed. She slipped her hand into Tina's, and squeezed it. Tina smiled back, nearly as brightly.

"Then let's get to it," the teacher said. Rachel handed him several folders filled with sheet music and printed lyrics, and as the others passed them to ascend the steps on either side of the stage, he handed several pages out to each Glee clubber. "All right, everybody - Mike, Brittany, you're handling the choreography, of course. Kurt, Finn, Artie – you're handling the vocal arrangements for the guys. Sam, Puck, grab your guitars. Mercedes, you're teaming up with Santana on lead vocals for the first song. Quinn, you've got the solo in the second song. Rachel, Tina, you -"

Quinn stopped short, blinking, butterflies instantly congregating in her stomach and fluttering up to her heart. Did she really just hear that? She had a _solo_? In the _second_ song? In what universe did she get a solo before Rachel or Tina?

"Mr. Schue, I -" she began to say.

"Yes, Quinn?"

"I – I don't know if you really want to _do_ that, putting me up second, right after Santana and Mercedes. Wouldn't you want to – I mean, I'm not the singer Rachel is, or Tina." She looked at the two girls standing between Will and Emma, seeing only kindness, encouragement and support in their expressions. "I just want things to go well," she said softly.

Rachel stepped forward. She didn't let go of Tina's hand, but took one of Quinn's as well as she spoke, quickly gaining the cheerleader's full attention.

"Quinn. Listen to me. You are a wonderfully talented singer, and you have a beautiful voice. You've more than earned your place in the show, and in this club. I – _we -_ believe in you. Now all you have to do is believe in _yourself_. That's what this is all about. Okay?"

Tina took Quinn's other hand. Now they were all connected, and an energy and an understanding passed through them like an electric current. Quinn's eyes glistened with tears. What she had ever done to deserve these people's friendship, she didn't know; but in this moment, she was more glad than ever for whatever it was.

"You're going to be great, Quinn," Ms. Pillsbury chimed in, surprising everyone. "We all know it. So get up there, and knock us all dead. Okay?"

Quinn sniffled, blinking back tears. One rolled down her cheek anyway. Rachel released her hand to wipe it away with the pad of her thumb.

"Okay," Quinn said. She nodded at Tina, who squeezed her hand before letting it go. Then looked around at the rest of her friends, seeing nothing but love and concern in their eyes. "Stop looking at me like that, seriously. I'm all right."

She ascended the steps to join them, and found herself engulfed in the warmth of a group embrace. Rachel, Tina and Sugar followed, and they hugged her too.

Mr. Schue signaled to the band, and they took up their instruments and assumed their positions behind the New Directions. It was going to be a long, hard day, but he knew that by the end of it, they'd have half the set down cold, because they were just _that_ good.

"Everybody ready?" he asked, slipping into full on coaching mode. They all smiled back at him in response - none more happily than Quinn, he noted – and he nodded, letting them know that he was ready too.

"Santana, Mercedes, you're up front." They stepped forward, taking hold of the twin microphones on stands in front of them, looking at each other with determined expressions. "We'll just do it as written first, then start getting creative with the arrangements and work up the choreography once we get a feel for things. Got it?"

"We got this, Mr. Schue," Mercedes said. Santana held up a hand, inviting a high five. Mercedes grinned, and her hand met Santana's with a loud smack. "Let's do it."

No one was going to call New Directions losers ever again after this. No one.

"From the top."


End file.
